Peter h



(No Model.)

P. H; PURSBL inw= WyKBLGHNER.

STEP LADDER.

.No 351,713. Patented Oct. 26, 1886'l closed and the bucket-shelf in a depending position.

`To all zal/71.0772, t may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE. f

PETER YH. PURSEL AND WILLTAM l. KELOHNER, OF ITHACA, NEW YORK.

STEP-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION formmg part of Letters Patent No. 351,713, date-d October 26, 1886'.

Application tiled June 1, 1886.

ABe it known that we, PETER H. PUn'sEL and WILLIAM W. KELoI-INER, citizens of Ithaca, United States, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Step-Ladder; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descripvtion of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereoinwhich form a part of this specification.

This invention comprises an improvement in step-ladders; and it consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of our improved step-ladder. Fig. 2 is a side view of the ladder with its parts Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line m x of'Fig. l, and shows the hinges and braces for connecting the several parts. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the joint between the braces which uphold the bucket-shelf. f

Like letters of reference denote like parts in the several gures.

The front portion of the ladder consists of the steps B B and top step, G, each one of which is provided at its extremities with apertures, through which pass the rods A A for connecting them together. The back portion of the frame consists of the legs C C, secured together and held connected by any suitable cross-braces, such as a c and b, and also of the top step, E, with which the upper ends of thc legs C C are connected.

The front and rear portions ofthe frame are connected or hinged together by means of the two hinges F F,which consist each of two metallic strips, c and d, pivoted to each other.` One of these strips, as c, is secu red to the front portion of the ladder by being riveted to the poles or rods A and A at a point directly underneath the upper step, G, in such a manner that the upper edge of the strip c may rest closely against the lower surface of the upper step. The other metallic strip, d, is secured to the back portion of the ladder by being rivcted to the legs C, directly underneath the step .ease of construction.

Serial No. 903,792. (No n|odel.l

xets or other purposes to be connected with the upper portion of the ladder by a hinged con-x nection, the same parts which go to t'orm the hinge between the front and rear portions of the ladder serving also to constitute the connection between the rear portion and the shelf, for the strips d of each hinge F are pivoted by pins e to the shelf D, so that it may be raised or lowered. Obviously, therefore, the hinges F will hold the steps E and G in the same plane, so that their top surfaces will be as one, and they will also connect the front and rear parts of the ladder and the bucket-shelf.

The shelf D is held in a horizontal position by means of a peculiarly-constructed bracing connection with one of the steps B-as,' for er:` ample, the one next the top, this being the most convenient. This brace comprises two parts, f and g. These parts are pivoted together, and they consist of metallic straps, preferably twisted at a certain point in their length, so that when the brace is looked at in the position shown in Fig. 3 one portion will lbe viewed iiatwise and the other edgewise.

Thus it will be seen that the interpivoted parts of the brace will be presented to each other with their flat faces in contact, while at the extremities of the parts the flat faces thereof will be in a different plane, so that they may be conveniently attached to the shelf and step, respectively, by looping the end of said parts and passing a staple on the shelf through said loo mailiy advantages in point of cheapness and It will be further noted that the arms f and gare cach slightly curved, which causes the pivot at their junction to lie -below a straight line extending from the shelf to the step. The result of this location of the pivot is that the shelf must be lifted, more or less, in order to buckle the brace and Alower the shelf. Therefore, if the bucket and its contents were on the shelf, any slight accidental This form of brace, obviously, presents IOO upward hit on the brace at the ljoint would fail to buekle the brace and let hdl the shelf, as might be the ease if the extended brnee were straightnd the pivotal connection betweenits parts consequently situa-ted in :i straight line joining,` theshelf and step. rIhe arm f/ is provided with n ilnnge or lug, nwhieh, when the arms are extended, rests on the lower arm and prevents seid arms from droppingioo for down.

In order to hold the front and rear portions of the frame :it the proper d istanee apart when extended, we use braces, eonsisting` of the seetions I and 1, one of' which is pivoted to the rear portion 21nd the otherto the front portion. These sections are pivoted to each other, .find one, as Y, is provided with n lng or iinnge, i, which rests upon the see-lion lf :ind keeps lheni in their proper plnee when extended.

Having thus described our invention, n'hnt we elaim its new, nud desire lo secure by Let ters Potent, is-

1. In :L step-lndder, the combination of the front portion, the reniportion, the boeket shelf, and the hinges connectingl these three elements, said hinges eonsisling of two inetz1llie strips pivoted to eneh other und to the bucket-shelf, :1nd seein-ed rigidly, the one to the front portion of the frame und the other to the reni portion,substantially :is described.

2. The combination, with n step-ladder, of a bucket-shelf and n bracing; device for the mine, which consists of two curved :ind inten pivoted arms, one of which is hinged to the said shelf and the other to one of the steps, ubtstantially in the nninner shown :1nd set tor `1.

S. The eo1nbnation,with n step-lndder oonsistiug of hinged front and rear portions, of a boeket-shelf, D, pivotally Connected with the strips d of the hinges F by pins e, and upheld byu brneing-eonneetion with the front portion of the ladder, consisting ot" the twisted and pivoted :irme f und f/,one ofwhieh is provided with o. lug, l1, substantially as and for; the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the front portion of nstep-ledder freine, the reinportion of the some, the hinges F, for eonneetnf" sind parts, consisting ol" the pivoted strips e :nid d, secured the one to the front portion and the other to the rear portion, the shelf D, pivoted to the strips d by pins f', and mechanism for upholding seid urine, consisting of the pivoted arms f und lr/,secured the one to the front part and the other to the shelf, substantially K ns shown :nld set l'orth.

5i. The eonibiimtion,with :1 steplndder, ol' :t bucket-shelf pivoted to the rear part thereof nud upheld by n brneing-eonneetion with the front portion, Consisting,r ol' two curved interpivoted arms hinged to n step nud to the shelfrespectively, und one of them being provided with a lng to keep the arms in proper place when extended, substantially :is specified rind shown.

In testimony whereof we affix onrsignntures in presence of two Witnesses.

PETER H. PURSEL. TVILLIAM AW.. KELCHNEH. 1Wil nesses: NVM'. HAZLITT SMITH, Illh N. Toirenns., 

